How Much Does It Cost to Ship from South Korea to the USA? What Sets the Price

How Much Does It Cost to Ship from South Korea to the USA?

Drewry’s World Container Index covers routes from Shanghai, not Busan. For Busan, the Korea Ocean Business Corporation publishes the KCCI every week. The composite index is in points, but the route readings are in US dollars per 40ft dry container. They include the US West Coast and the US East Coast. They show where the market stands, not a price for your cargo. The Freightos air reading on our China pages covers China to North America, not Korea.

This page does not copy the KCCI figures, because they change every week. Check the latest reading on the KOBC website, then compare it with the ocean line of your written quote. The table below lists every line a complete quote should show.

Suaid Global coordinates the shipment through partner carriers and licensed customs brokers selected for the request. Price and timing are confirmed in the written quote.

Ocean Freight: Price per Container

Busan is Korea’s largest container gateway, with the widest choice of sailings. Incheon serves the Seoul area, and Gwangyang serves heavy industry. Cargo from smaller ports often feeds through Busan before the main sailing. That extra leg can add cost and days.

A full container load (FCL) gives your cargo its own container. An FCL quote is priced per container and per port pair. Ask for each container type on its own, and check what the price includes. Port-to-port offers leave out trucking, documents and customs.

East Coast sailings take the Panama Canal or the Suez Canal. West Coast ports then need rail or trucking to reach inland cities. Compare the full cost to your address, not only the ocean rate.

The FCL container rates guide explains container types and quote scope. Its dated index figures are for Shanghai routes, so they do not price Busan.

LCL: Price per CBM and the W/M Rule

LCL (less than container load) means your cargo shares a container with other shipments. You pay per freight unit, called W/M, for weight or measure. Many ocean LCL rates compare 1 CBM with 1,000 kg. You pay on the larger of the two. Confirm the ratio, the minimum and the rounding in your quote.

Many requests on this lane are small. Take 0.3 CBM and 40 kg. The weight gives 0.04 units and the volume gives 0.3 units, so the shipment counts as 0.3 units. If the quote sets a minimum of 1 unit, you pay for 1 unit.

For very small cargo, the minimum can decide the price. No published, dated range covers LCL from Korea to the USA. The LCL shipping rates guide lists dated ranges for other routes, which do not apply here.

Air Freight: Price per Chargeable Kg

Incheon International Airport is Korea’s main air cargo gateway. Air freight is billed on chargeable weight. IATA describes a common rule. Multiply length, width and height in centimetres, then divide by 6,000. The result is the volume weight in kilograms.

You pay on the higher of volume weight and gross weight. This divisor is not universal. DHL Express, for example, publishes a divisor of 5,000 for its express service. Ask which divisor, minimum and rounding your quote uses.

Take the small shipment again: 0.3 CBM and 40 kg. That is 300,000 cm³, and 300,000 ÷ 6,000 gives 50 kg. Volume weight is higher than the 40 kg gross weight, so 50 kg is the chargeable weight. The air price is 50 kg times the rate per kg in your quote, or the minimum if it is higher.

The KCCI covers ocean freight only. None of the air indexes this site cites gives a dated per-kg price for Korea to the USA. The air freight cost per kg guide explains weight rules and what to check in an air quote.

Costs at Destination

These US costs apply whatever the origin and mode. The supplier amounts below are published examples, checked on September 12, 2026. They are not Suaid Global tariffs. The two government fees come from US regulations. Rows without an amount must be filled in by the written quote.

Clearit excludes duties, MPF/HMF, disbursements, agency and extra services from base brokerage. Both Hapag-Lloyd examples apply to import merchant haulage with 20ft or 40ft standard equipment, after the free time. Other ports, carriers and equipment have different terms. The ocean freight rates guide shows the same published examples.

Duties and Tariffs

Duty depends on the product, its origin and the entry date, not on the mode. The KORUS free trade agreement entered into force on March 15, 2012. It lowers or removes duty on many Korean-origin goods, but only when the goods qualify and the claim is supported.

CBP says a KORUS claim must be supported by a certification of origin. The producer, the exporter or the US importer can complete it, in a free format or on CBP’s template. Our US tariffs 2026 guide adds: “Preferential treatment also requires checking the relevant program and product requirements; a supplier’s location is not enough.”

The guide, reviewed on September 12, 2026, also states: “Since July 24, 2026, a separate Section 301 action covers 60 economies at 10% or 12.5%, with product exemptions.”

For South Korea, the guide states: “EU and Taiwan treatment tops up MFN to 10%; Japan, South Korea and Switzerland to 12.5%. If MFN already meets that threshold, this action adds zero duty.”

Metal goods have their own rules: “Section 232 depends on the product, origin and metal content. Covered steel, aluminum and copper articles can face 50%; other treatments include 10%, 15% and 25%.” This page gives no duty rate for a product. Look up the HTS line in the USITC tariff schedule. Then ask a licensed customs broker how each measure applies to your KORUS claim.

Transit Time: What the Schedule Covers

This page does not promise a transit time. A carrier’s published schedule gives the sailing or flight time between two named ports or airports. Door-to-door timing adds stages that the schedule does not cover. Ask the quote to show each stage.

Ask whether a quoted time is port to port or door to door. Check the cutoff date against your cargo-ready date. For ocean cargo, US Customs needs the ISF before the goods are loaded in Korea.

What Changes the Price

• Season and carrier notices — Peak season charges and rate increases apply when the carrier publishes a notice. Ask for the notice, its dates and its amount.
• West Coast or East Coast — East Coast sailings take the Panama Canal or the Suez Canal. A West Coast port may need a long rail or truck leg to your address.
• Feeder to Busan — Cargo from a smaller Korean port may move to Busan first. Ask whether that leg is in the price.
• Density and W/M — Light, bulky cargo pays on volume in LCL and on volume weight by air. Tighter packing can lower the size you pay for.
• Batteries and dangerous goods — Electric vehicle cells and other batteries are regulated cargo. Some chemical and resin products are dangerous goods too. Check the safety data sheet before booking.
• Minimum charges — Small LCL and air shipments can pay a minimum. Ask for it before you compare rates per unit.
• Holidays in Korea — Major holidays such as Seollal and Chuseok can close factories and slow terminals. Plan the cargo-ready date around them.
• Incoterm and who pays what — Under FOB, the buyer pays the main freight and the US costs. Under DDP, the seller also pays the import duties. See FOB vs CIF vs DDP.

Worked Budget Example

1. Describe the shipment: Say 3 cartons go from Busan to Los Angeles, with 0.3 CBM in total and 40 kg gross. It is an illustration, not a quote.
2. Work out the LCL units: 0.3 CBM against 0.04 tonnes gives 0.3 W/M units. LCL freight is the larger of 0.3 units and the quoted minimum, times your quoted rate.
3. Work out the air weight: 0.3 CBM is 300,000 cm³. With a divisor of 6,000, volume weight is 50 kg. So air freight is 50 kg times the quoted rate per kg, or the minimum if higher.
4. List the US costs: Keep each line with its own source. As checked on September 12, 2026, Clearit published ocean brokerage at USD 149.95 per entry and handling at USD 25. Then add MPF and, for ocean cargo, HMF as a share of value.
5. Check the duty: Look up the HTS line, the KORUS claim and the Section 301 rule above. A licensed customs broker confirms the duty for the entry.
6. Compare like with like: Put the LCL and air offers side by side, with the same pickup and delivery. For small cargo, the minimum can decide which mode costs less.

What to Send for a Quote

A full brief gets a quote you can compare. Use the CBM calculator to measure volume, or the freight calculator for a first estimate. The South Korea to USA shipping page lists the main gateways and services.

• Pickup city in Korea, or the port or airport, such as Busan, Incheon or Gwangyang
• US delivery address, or the US port you want
• Number of packages and the packed size of each one
• Gross weight, including pallets and packing
• What the goods are, with the HTS code if you have it
• Whether you plan a KORUS claim, and who will certify origin
• Cargo-ready date and the Incoterm agreed with the supplier
• Door-to-door or port-to-port service
• Batteries, dangerous goods or temperature needs

Questions About Shipping Costs from South Korea to the USA

Sources and References

• Drewry — World Container Index — Routes assessed from Shanghai; no Korean port. Checked September 23, 2026.
• Korea Ocean Business Corporation — KCCI weekly table, issue of September 21, 2026 — Composite index in points; route readings for the US West Coast (USWC) and the US East Coast (USEC). Checked September 23, 2026.
• Kukinews — KCCI report, September 22, 2026 (in Korean) — Gives the route readings in US dollars per 40ft dry container. Checked September 23, 2026.
• Freightos — weekly rates update, September 8, 2026 — Air index lane named China to North America; Korea not covered. Checked September 23, 2026.
• IATA — Air Cargo Tariffs and Rules — Chargeable weight and the common 6,000 divisor.
• DHL Express — weight and dimensions — Service-specific divisor of 5,000; not a universal rule.
• Clearit — US customs brokerage prices — Published supplier fees, checked September 12, 2026 and again September 23, 2026.
• Hapag-Lloyd — US import port demurrage — Charleston example, effective January 1, 2026. Checked September 12, 2026.
• Hapag-Lloyd — US detention schedule — US outside California example, effective October 1, 2025. Checked September 12, 2026.
• GovInfo — 19 CFR 24.23, Merchandise Processing Fee — Ad valorem rate of 0.3464 percent. Edition revised April 1, 2025; checked September 23, 2026.
• GovInfo — 19 CFR 24.24, Harbor Maintenance Fee — Rate of 0.125 percent of cargo value. Edition revised April 1, 2025; checked September 23, 2026.
• USTR — KORUS FTA — Entry into force on March 15, 2012. Checked September 23, 2026.
• CBP — Korea Free Trade Agreement — Certification of origin for KORUS claims. Checked September 23, 2026.
• USTR — Section 301 actions, published July 28, 2026 (91 FR 47318) — Official source cited by our US tariffs 2026 guide.
• USITC — Harmonized Tariff Schedule lookup — Official tariff schedule for product duty rates.